William Slade Vincent

4.1
The Vincent Family returns to Australia

The family, including William, headed back to Australia from Europe, on the “Commonwealth”, from London on 27th February and landed in Sydney on 12th April 1906. By this time the Buzzard girls, from Emily Alice’s first marriage, had begun using the last name of Vincent, as shown on the passenger manifest. An error occurred on the passenger manifest for 2 year old Joan Vincent as she is recorded as being Mast. (Master) Joan Vincent.

Vincent Family on the “Commonwealth”, London to Sydney 1906 [38]

In June 1907, Beaumont House, in outer Adelaide suburbs, was put up for sale by those managing the estate of Sir Samuel Devenport, a parliamentarian and landowner. [39] It failed to attract a suitable offer and was put up for auction and was passed in when the bidding stopped at £1,400. [40] However, Major Vincent bought Beaumont House shortly after.

Beaumont House, 631 Gynburn Road, Beaumont, South Australia [41]

Having lived in Beaumont House since 1907, Major Vincent sold the property in 1911. The Vincent family sold the property as it was very difficult to get staff to make the journey from Adelaide to the property on the outskirts of Adelaide. It was reported, on 4th March 1911, that a Mr. and Mrs. A. Bennett had purchased the property.

Major Vincent Sells Beaumont House

Transcript:

The family returned to inner Adelaide and rented a house at the Ruthven Mansions in Pulteney Street for a time. [42] They then rented another home owned by a prominent politician, Mr. John Downer. Alexander Downer, who served as leader of the (Opposition) Liberal party in 1994 and Foreign Minister in the Howard government, was John Downer’s grandson.

This rented house was on the grounds of which later was to become St Peter’s College and is currently used as residential accommodation for Adelaide University.

Downer House, Pennington Terrace, Adelaide [43]

The Vincent family also owned a house at Largs Bay, a seaside suburb of Adelaide.

William started school at St. Peter’s College in 1910 until the second term 1911. No reason can be given, but he was absent for the third term, possibly due to sickness. He then started school again in the first term of 1912 and carried through until the third term 1915. His home addresses, over this period, were given as Beaumont House, Pennington Terrace and Largs Bay.

He was a cox in a four oared rowing boat which was part of the schools rowing team and on 14th April 1914 they won the Girdlestone Schools Fours at the Autumn Regatta. The race was closely contested as described in the school magazine for that year.

William in St. Peter’s College magazine - Rowing Photo 1914 [44]

William or his father must have kept in touch with the St Peter’s College after the war, as William’s name is inscribed on the school’s Honour Board and it is suffixed by M.C., a military decoration.

St. Peter’s College Honour Board [45]

On 8th August 1911, Marjorie Buzzard was the first of the Buzzard girls to marry, when she married Malcolm Douglas Tweedie in St. Peter’s Cathedral, just down the road from the rented Vincent family home. They lived in the suburb of Beaumont. Malcom died in Beaumont and Marjorie and 2 of her children Barbara and David were still living there in 1939. [46]

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[38] Find My Past
[39] Register (Adelaide, S.A. : 1901 - 1929), Friday 14 June 1907, page 10
[40] Register (Adelaide, S.A. : 1901 - 1929), Thursday 27 June 1907, page 4
[41] Burnside Branch – National Trust of S.A.
[42] Critic (Adelaide, S.A. : 1897-1924), Wednesday 14 February 1912, page 19
[43] State Library of South Australia
[44] Archives of St. Peter’s College, Adelaide
[45] Archives of St. Peter’s College, Adelaide
[46] South Australia Electoral Roll 1939